Moulin-À-Vent Vielles Vignes (Barbet)

"The 2014 Moulin-à-Vent “Vieilles Vignes” from the Barbet brothers is excellent, albeit a bit reductive when first opened, and needs a bit of prodding in decanter to get it to blossom properly at this early stage in its evolution. Eventually, the wine stirs nicely and offers up a pure and classic bouquet of cassis, black cherries, a complex base of dark soil tones, a bit of roasted meat, chicory, woodsmoke, a hint of cedar and a nice touch of fresh thyme in the upper register. On the palate the wine is young, full-bodied and well-knit, with a good core, fine soil signature, ripe, moderate tannins, tangy acids and impressive length and grip on the still primary finish. This is early days for this high quality example of Moulin-à-Vent and I would give this wine at least three or four years’ worth of bottle age before starting to pull corks in earnest. It will age very, very well and it is hard not to imagine this really drinking with distinction at age fifteen or twenty! 2020-2050."